Greetings,

I have an RS/6000 (44P - 270) on which I want to make a mksysb.

This machine does not have any "already edited": image.data or bosinst.data files.

How can I go about generating a mksysb, bootable image for this machine? My initial thought was then to transfer this image to another machine that has a tape drive and put it on a tape there...will this work? How can I go about doing this?

Thanks for any and all help!

Zepplin611

Hi, Zeplin, roughly you are right, but the next problem will be what do you want do do with your backup tape ? Is it a security in case of system crash ? Then comes my question : how will you boot on the tape if your system physically has no tape reader ?
There is an alternate way. You already have another AIX system on your site. I would say, just try to install the second system as a NIM server. The NIM server will act as a backup server and as an install server.
Then, if you have to re-install your backup, at boot time choose "installing from network", and the system will boot in installation mode from the backup which is on the NIM install server.
And, by the way, yes, if the NIM server has a tape drive, the NIM server is able to create a tape backup from a mksysb file.
It's not such an obvious way, but having a NIM install server is rather useful, and if it avoids bying a tape for backups, it's fine.
Regards
Zorba

zorba...thanks for the NIM server/client tips...I have seen some documentation on how to do this, but can you suggest any further resources on how to set up and already existing AIX RS/6000 system as the NIM server (the one with the tape drive), and next, the nim client, the machine in question?

thanks again

zepplin611

You are right, the trick is to install the NIM server on the system which has he tape drive.
The trick is :
Install the Nim server
Create a client
backup the client
In case of crash :
boot the client on the nerwork card (instead on CD-rom or tape)
How to do that ?
Have a look around here
http://publib16.boulder.ibm.com/cgi-...US&viewset=AIX
and especially here :
http://publib16.boulder.ibm.com/doc_...sysb_image.htm
Regards
Zorba

If you are running AIX 5.2 or (I think) 5.1, you'll find a smit option called something like EZ NIM which guides you through a simple NIM setup on the server. There isn't any client configuration you need for NIM in this case as at the point that you need to restore your mksysb, you'll be doing it via the SMS menu.

However, for some purposes a NIM client is useful; but again its just a single smit screen to set it up.

You are right, iainr.
I only use my client setup in order to test whether my server install is correct or not : it's better spend two hours today if I have time for this, testing my server, and have no problem when I will really have to restore my backup.